Frequently asked questions
27 answers across six areas. If yours is not here, the contact form reaches the same people who would answer it anyway.
Ordering and pricing
How do I order a test?
Pick the service and compound in the intake builder, choose the assays, pay, and a prepaid label is emailed to you. Order first, then ship; the carrier scan on our label is what opens your chain of custody.
What does testing cost?
Peptides from $189, SARMs from $149, kratom from $119, supplements from $119, cosmetics from $159, raw materials from $149, hydrocarbons from $205, pesticides from $205, water and food from $165. Single assays such as endotoxin at $199 or heavy metals at $169 can be ordered on their own.
Is there a volume discount?
Yes, from ten samples in one order. The builder applies it automatically and the quote matches checkout exactly.
How can I pay?
Card, Apple Pay and Klarna through Stripe, ACH, wire or net terms by invoice through Mercury, or cryptocurrency. All three appear at checkout.
Can several people split one test?
Yes, through group testing. Two to fifty contributors split one sample and one fee, and every contributor receives the same signed certificate.
Shipping
When does the clock start?
At receipt, not at order. The carrier scan is on the record so there is no argument about when the window opened.
Can I drop a sample off in person?
No, and there are no exceptions. Chain of custody begins with the carrier scan on a label we issue, and a hand-delivered package has no scan to start it.
Do you take scheduled substances?
No. We hold no DEA registration, so we cannot receive Schedule I to V material. A package containing it is refused and reported.
Methods and instruments
What instruments do you run?
Agilent 1290 Infinity II UHPLC, 6490 triple quadrupole LC-MS, 7850 ICP-MS, 8890 GC with 5977 MSD, three Charles River Endosafe NexGen-PTS units and two MilliporeSigma Steritest systems, plus Karl Fischer and microbiology. Every instrument ID prints on the certificate.
Are you ISO 17025 accredited?
No. Gold Standard Analytics does not currently hold ISO/IEC 17025 or TCEQ NELAP accreditation or DEA registration. We will not describe ourselves as accredited unless a scope certificate exists to link to. Current credentials are listed on our Compliance page.
Do you publish your methods?
The method reference, column, wavelength, calibration range and reference standard lot print on or are available for every panel. Full SOPs and validation summaries are available under NDA.
Can I see the chromatogram?
Yes, on request and at no charge, along with the raw instrument file for your sample.
Do you use genuine OEM parts?
Yes, columns, consumables and reference standards sourced new through authorised channels, with instruments serviced by Quantum Analytics under the highest-tier manufacturer coverage.
Certificates and verification
How do I verify a certificate?
Enter the accession number on the verification page. No login. If a Gold Standard certificate does not resolve there, it is not one of ours.
Are all certificates public?
Every certificate we sign is searchable by accession, including failures and retractions. A client can keep results unpublished, in which case the record confirms the accession exists without showing the numbers.
Do you publish failing results?
Yes. A failing result is a result you paid for and it stays in the database. We do not re-run a sample to obtain a better number.
Can a certificate be edited after signature?
No. It is hashed at signature and the hash is published. Any change breaks the match. A correction is issued as a logged retraction under the same accession.
What stops someone faking your certificate?
Certificates are watermarked with the client brand and every one resolves in the public database. Misuse of our name or mark is pursued by our counsel.
Chain of custody
What happens to my sample?
Carrier scan, opened on camera, photographed per container, accessioned with a blind code, prepared, analysed, reviewed by a second analyst, then published. Each stage writes to the same record.
Do analysts know whose sample it is?
No. Samples carry blind codes on the bench and analysts never see the client name.
How long do you keep the footage?
Unboxing footage is retained three years and samples are retained 90 days, which is what makes an independent retest possible.
Can I see the video of my own sample?
Yes, released on request along with the container photographs and raw instrument files.
Result review and disputes
Do you guarantee results?
No. You’re paying for testing, not a particular outcome: a result can pass, fail, be inconclusive or differ from another lab’s. If you paid for expedited or priority service and we miss that rush target, the rush surcharge is refunded. Orders placed before September 23, 2026 keep the guarantee they were sold with.
How do I dispute a result?
Tell us while we still hold your retained sample, which we keep for about 90 days. We review the raw data and, where warranted, rerun the retained material or send it to another laboratory. If we made a material error we correct or retract the certificate publicly, and we credit or refund that test if the error can’t be fixed.
Do you offer refunds if I change my mind?
Before the sample is accessioned, yes in full. After analysis begins the work has been done. The refunds page states each case plainly.
Still have a question
One inbox answers quotes, methods, orders and certificates, within one business day and the same day for anything already at the laboratory.